Automatic vending machine



Jan. 1, 1963 c. E. BOURACIER. 3,071,231

AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Filed March 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v z E/v T016 1 E. Bout/M122 Jan. 1, 1963 c. E. BOURACIER 3,071,231

AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Filed, March 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 1, 1963 c. E. BOURACIER 3,071,231

. AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Filed March 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y ,nws/yrog Cir/am 6. Boo Aa/E/ 3,071,231 AUTGMATI'C VENDING MAQHWE Cyril Eugene Eonracicr, 34d Bensham Lane, Thornton Heath, Surrey, England Filed Mar. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 93,620 Ciaims priority, application (Great Britain Aug. 16, 196i 2 Ctairns. t'll. 194-46) This invention relates to automatic vending machines and more particularly to automatic control systems for controlling the operation of such machines.

The invention is especially directed to machines containing refrigerating plant and adapted to sell chilled or deep-frozen packaged foodstufis. The invention is very suitable for use in conjunction with the vending machines described in our United Kingdom Patents Nos. 687,359 and 707,432, wherein there are disclosed vending mechanisms which are adjustable to suit ditlerently sized and shaped packages but, as will appear from the description which follows, the invention is also suitable for general application to vending machines.

One object of the invention is to provide, in an automatic vending machine for chilled or deep-frozen packaged goods, a control system which is of simple and advantageous construction.

Another object is to provide, in an automatic vending machine, a control which is adaptable so that various protective devices may optionally be included, which are brought into operation if conditions should arise which favour the onset of harmful bacterial action in foodstuffs contained in the machine.

A further object is to provide, in an automatic vending machine, a power drive which is coupled to the drive for the vending mechanism by a slipping clutch adapted to disengage if th vending mechanism should become jammed, whereby the power cycle of the drive is completed despite the interruption of the vending cycle.

Still another object is to provide an automatic vending machine which is readily adaptable to accept one or more coins of diiterent denominations.

Other objects and the numerous advantages of the vending machine control according to the invention will appear from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a circuit diagram of a system of control according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of a coin selector mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a detail of the selector mechanism of FIGURE 2 showing the operation of the gate;

FIGURE 4 shows the power drive to the vending mechanism; and

FIGURE 5 shows a slipping clutch driven by the power drive of FIGURE 4 and controlling a further series of cam-operated switches.

In FIGURE 1 the elements have been shown in the state they are in when the machine is in condition to accept coins and vend articles. Hence, normally open contacts 168, 111, 112 and 113 are shown closed.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown a terminal block 11 having three ways marked L, E and N, intended respectively for line, earth and neutral conductors. The line way is connected to two fuses 12 and 13. A threepin socket 14 has connections from the fuse 12 and the neutral and earth conductors, and the associated plug provides a supply through a connecting block 15 to a refrigerating unit indicated by a block 16. Between the line conductor from the plug in the socket 14 and the line connection to the connecting block 15, is a thermostat switch 17 which controls the operation of the refrigeratin g unit in known manner to maintain the temperature in a magazin compartment within prescribed limits.

BEWLZM Patented Jan. 1, 1963 The second fuse 13 is connected to one pole of a manually operated double-pole switch 18, the other pole of the switch being connected to the incoming neutral condoctor. The outgoing line and neutral conductors from the switch 18 are connected to a further connecting block 19 having ways 29 and 21, respectively for the line and neutral conductors, and two further ways 22 and 23 connected respectively to the ways 20 and 21.

The line way 22 of the connecting block 19 is connected to a point 24 on an octal valve holder 58 for a standard type of enclosed change-over relay which can be plugged into the valve holder. The point 24 on the relay is a fixed contact which is adapted to be connected to a moving contact 25 when the relay is operated. A normally closed contact 26 on the relay is not used. The relay contains a second normally open contact connected to the points 27 and 28 and a normally closed contact 29 which is not used. The two ends of the operating coil are connected to the remaining two points, 3% and 31.

A second valve holder 60 for a second relay is similarly provided with a normally open contact connected to points 32 and 33, a second normally open contact connected to points 34- and 35, normally closed contacts connected to points 36 and 37 which are not used, and an operating coil connected to points 38 and 32.

The two relays are each associated with a coin selector which is shown in elevation in FIGURE 2. The coin selector is not in itself a part of the invention and it will only be necessary to describe it in general terms. A coin inserted through a slot in a plate located in an opening in the housing of the vending machine falls into a chute and follows a path generally indicated by the dotted line 40. In its passage along the path 4t) it is checked for diameter and thickness by means of devices controlled by adjusting screws 41, 42, 43 and 44 and finally passes between a pair of wheels 45 which check its thickness just inside its rim. It then passes into a balance bucket '46 mounted on pivots 4'7 and if its weight is correct the balance bucket 46 swings downwardly. In the lower position of the bucket is the coin is allowed to fall into a chute (not shown) leading to the coin collecting receptacle. During the swinging movement of the bucket 46 a hook 48 attached to the arm carrying the bucket 45 momentarily swings the arm 49 of a make-and-break switch Sit so that, as the bucket 46 swings downwardly and, followingthe release of the coin, swing back to its original position, switch 56 is momentarily closed and opened again.

During its passage along the path 40 to coin passes along a coin run which is formed by two members 51 and 52 shown in cross-section in FIGURE 3. The member 51 is a part of the body of the selector mechanism and the member 52 is a gate which is hinged about a pin 53 lying parallel to the direction of the coin run. The gate 52 is kept in contact with the body 51 by means of a spring (not shown) which acts in the direction of the arrow 5 to keep the gate closed. A solenoid 55, which is energized when the machine is ready to accept a coin and to vend an article in exchange therefor, contains an armature as which is drawn into the solenoid when the latter is energized. A spring 57 acts to push the armature 56 out of the solenoid, and when the solenoid is de-energized the armature 56 moves into contact with the gate 52 and opens it against the pressure of the spring tending to close the gate. When the gate 52 is open a coin inserted into the selector is allowed to fall into a reject chute and is returned to the customer.

If the articles being ofiered by the vending machine require only one coin, then only one coin selector is required and only one of the relays previously described is used. In such a case the single relay is plugged into the socket 58 and a' plug having a short-circuiting bridge ass/1,231

U for the contact between points 32 and 33 is inserted into the socket 60. If, on the other hand, the article requires the insertion of two coins, which may be of the same or of diiferent value, then the selector mechanisms are adapted respectively to accept the coins in question and relays are plugged into both the sockets 58" and 60. The circuitdiagram of FIGURE 1 shows the connections for the switches of two coin selectors, the switch operated by the coin selector shown in FIGURE 2 having the reference 50- in FIGURE 1 and the switch associated with the second coin selector having the reference 61 in FIGURE 1.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the vending machine is driven through each vending cycle by a motive power unit comprising, in the present case, a motor (not shown) connected to an input shaft 62 of a gear box 63 having an output shaft 64. The kind of motor and gear box or alternative form of drive used is, of course, a matter of choice. Mounted on the output shaft 64 is a forked member 65 adapted to engage a pin 121 on a slipping coupling having a body 122, which constitutes a driving member, and a driven member 123. The pin 121 is at the end of a cylindrical part 124 screwed and locked into the body 122. Five radial bores 125 are arranged around the body 122 in equally spaced angular positions and also at equal axial spacings, as indicated by the dotted lines 126. Five depressions 127 are formed in corresponding angularly and axially spaced positions around the periphery of the driven member 123, which is located in an axial bore in the body 122. Each of the bores 125 contains a ball 128 fixed into a small cap which, is acted upon by a spring 129 retained by a screw 130. The driven member 123 is provided at its lower end with a flange 131 which is seated in a corresponding recess in the body 122, so that the body is supported by the driven member. The driven member is integral with an output shaft 69 and this shaft carries the weight of the whole coupling. Also carried on the shaft 64 is a cam 66 adapted during its rotation to operate a switch 67 and a second switch 68 both of which are shown in FIGURE 1 with the same reference numbers. The shaft 69 is coupled to the magazine mechanism of the vending machine by means of gearing (not shown). The shaft 69 also carries a cam 70 adapted to operate a switch 71, shown in FIGURE 1, which is opened to de-energize the coin selector solenoids 55 and 72, and also to operate a switch 73 connected to a counting mechanism 74 (FIGURE 1) which counts the total number of articles sold. The switches 71 and 73 are carried on a plate 78.

A pin 75 carried on the cam 70 is adapted to engage the teeth of a, star wheel 76. As shown, the star wheel has six teeth and is adapted to co-operate with a rotary magazine of the kind described in our aforementioned United Kingdom patents having six stacks of packages for sale. The number of stacks provided in the rotary magazine depends on the size of the packages and if, for example, the packages are small the magazine might be able to accommodate ten stacks, in which case the star wheel 76 would have ten teeth. The star wheel 76 is adapted for rotation on a spindle 77 mounted on the plate 78 and a further switch 79 on the plate 78 is operated by a cam 80 attached to the star wheel 76. The switch 79 is in series with a solenoid 81 which is connected to a mechanical counting device associated with a movable coin slot plate (not shown) and is adapted to swing the plate into or out of its operative position. When the coin slot plate is in its operative position a coin inserted in the slot through an opening in the machine casing will fall into the chute of the associated coin selector and will follow the path 40 as previously described. When, however, the solenoid 81 has been energized a number of times corresponding to the setting of the mechanical counting device the coin slot plate is swung sideways so that the coin slot is covered by the casing of the machine and the word empty is displayed in the opening. Setting of the coin slot plate to the empty position also opens a switch 129 which cuts off the current to the selector solenoids 55 and 72, to avoid unnecessary current consumption. The aforementioned mechanical counting device is set to the number of arti cles in each stack when the machine is stocked with articles for sale. It counts down as the articles are sold and the solenoid 81 is successively energized, and moves the coin slot plate to the empty position when it reaches zero.

The operation of the control is as follows, assuming the two coin selectors and two relays are used. When the machine is ready to accept a coin and vend an article in exchange therefor, the solenoids 55 and 72 of the selectors are energized so that the gates 52 are closed. Each coin slot plate is in the correct position to accept and deliver the coin to the respective selector.

When a coin is inserted into the first selector and is accepted the switch 50 is momentarily closed. Current then flows from the line connection 22 through a wire 82, through the switch 67, through wires 83 and to one contact of the switch 50, through the switch 50 and via the wire 91 to the point 27, through the wire 92 to the point 31, through the relay operating coil 93 to the point 38 and thence through wire 88 to the neutral connection 23. Operation of the relay in the valve holder 58 closes the contact between points 27 and 28, so that the operating coil 93 is now connected through the point 28 and the wires 89 and 94 directly to the switch 67 and remains energized after the switch 50 has been opened. The contact between points 27 and 28 thus constitutes the relay holding contact. Operation of the relay also closes the contact between points 24 and 25 but since this is in series with the open contact between points 32 and 33 there is no eifect. When the appropriate coin is inserted into the second selector and accepted the switch 61 is momentarily closed. Current then flows through the wire 82, switch 67, wire 83, switch 61 and wire 84 to point 34 of the relay in the valve holder 60, through wire 85 to point 39, through the operating coil 86, and through wires 87 and 88 to the neutral connection 23. Operation of the relay closes the contact between points 32 and 33 and also the contact between points 34 and 35. The latter is the holding contact which holds the relay in the operated condition, current now flowing from wire 89 to point 34. The closure of the contact between points 32 and 33 allows current to flow from the line connection 22 through the contact at points 24 and 25, the wire 121, the contact at points 33 and 3 2, the Wire 95 and the Wire 96 to the vending motor 97, and from the vending motor through wire 98 to the neutral connection 23. The motor begins to run and drives the gear box which turns the output shaft 64 and the shaft 69 coupled thereto through the slipping clutch. After a very short period of running the cam 66 closes the switch 68 so that the motor may now obtain its power directly from the line connection 22 through wire 82 and switch 68. Shortly afterwards the switch 67 is opened by the cam 66 and the supply through the wire 89 to the relay coils 86 and 93 is cut off, so that the relays return to the unoperated state. Almost immediately after the motor 97 is switched on, rotation of the cam 70 opens the switch 71, which de-energizes the selector solenoids 55 and 72. The gates 52 of the coin selectors are thus opened and any coins inserted into the selectors will be rejected and returned to the customer. As the cam 70 rotates it also closes the switch 73 and then opens it again; this steps an electrical counting mechanism by one step. The counting mechanism counts the total number of articles sold. Rotation of the cam 70 also turns the star wheel 76 through one tooth. The roller on the end of the operating arm of switch 79 drops into the concave portion of cam 80 at each sixth revolution of pin 75 on cam 70, thus momentarily closing switch 79 and energizing solenoid 81. During further rotation of the shaft 64 the cam 66 recloses the switch 67 so that the relays are again ready to be operated by the switches 50 and 61 of the selectors. The switch 71 is also re-closed, whereby the selector solenoids are re-energized and the gates are closed. When the shaft 64 has made one complete revolution, the switch "68 is allowed to open by the cam 66, thus cutting off the supply to the motor, which then stops. During the complete revolution of the shaft 64 the vending mechanism driven by the shaft 69 has allowed a package to fall from one of the stacks through a flap valve and the package has been delivered to the customer.

It will be observed that the switch 68, which controls the motor and is therefore associated with the power cycle of the vending machine, is directly operated by the power drive, while switches 71, 73 and 79, which are particularly concerned with the vending cycle, are driven through the slipping clutch, as is the vending mechanism itself. If, due to a misshapen package (which, being chilled or frozen, will be hard) or an accumulation of frost on a package, a package should become jammed in the vending mechanism, or the vending mechanism should become jammed through some other cause, the torque imposed on the clutch will rise until a point is reached at which the balls 128 are forced out of the depressions 127, and the clutch slips. The motor and gearbox continue to run until the switch 68 cuts off the motor, so that the power cycle is completed and no harm can come to the motor and gearbox. On the other hand, the vending mechanism is allowed to stop, so that it is not harmed, and the vending cycle is interrupted. Due to the interruption of the vending cycle the switch 71 remains open and the coin selector solenoids remain de-energized, so that the machine will reject all further coins offered to it.

A connector 100 is wired in series with line wires and 102 from the selector solenoids 55 and 72, the line 101 connecting through the switches 71, 120 and 122 to the solenoids. This socket may be short-circuited by a bridge 104, as shown, or the change-giving device described in our co-pending United Kingdom patent application No. 28,374/60 dated August 16, 1960, may be connected to the socket. The said change-giving device contains a switch 103 which is normally closed, thus completing the line circuit. Should the change-giving device fail to operate, for example, because of a bent coin, the switch 103 is opened and the two selector solenoids 55 and 72 are de-energized, and further coins offered to the machine are rejected.

When the vending machine is used in the open it has been found that during very cold, damp weather, some condensation may occur around the edges of the flap which opens to deliver the packages to the customer and the condensed moisture freezes. Gradual build-up of the frost restricts the opening of the flap valve so that eventually the packages are unable to pass through. To prevent the frost from forming a heater 10'5 controlled by a switch 106, which might be thermostatically controlled, may be used. It has been found that a very small heater built into a glass tube sealed with a rubber bung, and intended for insertion in tanks containing tropical fish, is very satisfactory. The small amount of heat developed is quite suflioient to prevent any frost from forming.

Further circuitry shown dotted may be connected to the connecting block 19. For this purpose a bridge 107 connected between the connecting points 20 and 22 is removed. The additional circuitry comprises a high-temperature switch 108, connected to a thermostat (not shown) which opens if the temperature in the magazine compartment of the vending machine should exceed a predtermined maximum safe temperature. There is also a timing switch 109 and a relay having an operating coil 110 and three pairs of normally open contacts 111, 112 and 113 (shown closed). The relay is normally maintained in the operated condition by a supply circuit through the coil 110 from the line connection 20 via switch 108, contact 111, and wire 114 to the neutral connection 6 21. The contact 112 supplies an indicator lamp 116 through wire 117 to indicate that the solenoid 110 is in the operated condition. The contact 113 provides a connection between the line connections 20 and 22 through wires 118 and 119. If the temperature in the magazine compartment should rise above the safety level then the switch 108 opens, thus de-energizing the solenoid coil 110 and allowing contacts 111, 112 and 113 to open. The opening of contact 113 breaks the feed line to the whole of the vending apparatus, including switches and 61, selector solenoids and 72 and the motor 97, so that the vending portion of the machine is completely shut down, although the refrigerating portion may continue to operate normally. The timer switch is to enable the vending machine to operate for a predetermined period while the switch 108 is open. The purpose of this last item and the functioning of the circuitry as a whole is explained in more detail in our co-pending United Kingdom patent application No. 28,373/ dated August 16, 1960.

If a coin fails to pass the testing devices in the coin selector the customer is required to press a push button 122, thereby breaking the circuit through the selector solenoids 55 and 72. The gates 52 then open and the coin is released and allowed to fall into the receptacle for rejected coins, from which the customer may recover it.

A double-pole service push button 123 is provided inside the machine, the two contacts being connected respectively in parallel with the switches 50 and 61. Pressing the button 123 causes the machine to go through a vending cycle without the need to insert coins in the se lectors. This is useful when adjusting or testing the machine. The button 123 may also be used for re-setting after the slipping coupling has disengaged and the obstruction in the vending mechanism has been cleared.

In order to put the machine out of service, the switch 13 is opened, when the coin selector solenoids 55 and 72 are de-energized and the selector gates are opened. All coins offered to the machine are then rejected.

I claim:

1. In an automatic vending machine, a vending mechanism comprising in combination a coin selector to accept coins having the characteristics of genuine coins and reject false coins, a gate associated with said coin selector which when open causes all coins to be rejected, a closure spring to close said gate, an opener spring to open said gate against the force of said closure spring, a selector solenoid energized when the vending machine is in condition to vend an article to overcome the force of said opener spring and allow said gate to close, a coin selector switch on said coin selector which is closed momentarily when a coin is accepted, a relay for said coin selector energized by the closure of said coin selector switch, said relay having a normally open holding contact and a second normally open contact, a motor with an electric control circuit and an associated drive having an output shaft for said vending mechanism, said second contact being connected in said motor circuit, a relay switch connected in the holding circuit of said relay, a motor switch in said motor circuit in parallel with said second contact, a cam on the output shaft of said drive for said vending mechanism adapted during one revolution first to close said motor switch whereby said motor is supplied with power independently of said second contact, then to open said relay switch to return said relay to the unoperated condition, then to re-close said relay switch to condition said relay for the next succeeding sale, and finally to open said motor switch to stop said motor at the end of the vending cycle, a shaft to drive said vending mechanism, a slipping clutch interposed between said output shaft of said drive and said vending mechanism shaft constructed to disengage when the torque of said vending mechanism exceeds a predetermined maximum, another cam on said vending mechanism shaft, and another switch operated by the other cam to de-energize said selector solenoid immediately after said other cam commences to rotate at the beginning of a vending cycle, whereby jamming of said vending mechanism causes said clutch to disengage andallows said power cycle to be completed while maintaining said selector solenoid deenergized to cause further coins to be rejected by said coin selector.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of coin selectors, a coin selector switch for each coin selector, and a relay for each coin selector, the sec- 10 ond contacts of the relays being connected in series in said motor circuit, said motor switch being in parallel with all said second contacts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fialkovvski Jan. 17, Mills Feb. Nicholson June 2, Mills Nov. 9, Ziegler July 25, Walliii Jan. 8, Stahmer Sept. 8, Bruchman May 25, Fo'rst et al. May 17, 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE, A VENDING MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A COIN SELECTOR TO ACCEPT COINS HAVING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GENUINE COINS AND REJECT FALSE COINS, A GATE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID COIN SELECTOR WHICH WHEN OPEN CAUSES ALL COINS TO BE REJECTED, A CLOSURE SPRING TO CLOSE SAID GATE, AN OPENER SPRING TO OPEN SAID GATE AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID CLOSURE SPRING, A SELECTOR SOLENOID ENERGIZED WHEN THE VENDING MACHINE IS IN CONDITION TO VEND AN ARTICLE TO OVERCOME THE FORCE OF SAID OPENER SPRING AND ALLOW SAID GATE TO CLOSE, A COIN SELECTOR SWITCH ON SAID COIN SELECTOR WHICH IS CLOSED MOMENTARILY WHEN A COIN IS ACCEPTED, A RELAY FOR SAID COIN SELECTOR ENERGIZED BY THE CLOSURE OF SAID COIN SELECTOR SWITCH, SAID RELAY HAVING A NORMALLY OPEN HOLDING CONTACT AND A SECOND NORMALLY OPEN CONTACT, A MOTOR WITH AN ELECTRIC CONTROL CIRCUIT AND AN ASSOCIATED DRIVE HAVING AN OUTPUT SHAFT FOR SAID VENDING MECHANISM, SAID SECOND CONTACT BEING CONNECTED IN SAID MOTOR CIRCUIT, A RELAY SWITCH CONNECTED IN THE HOLDING CIRCUIT OF SAID RELAY, A MOTOR SWITCH IN SAID MOTOR CIRCUIT IN PARALLEL WITH SAID SECOND CONTACT, A CAM ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT OF SAID DRIVE FOR SAID VENDING MECHANISM ADAPTED DURING ONE REVOLUTION FIRST TO CLOSE SAID MOTOR SWITCH WHEREBY SAID MOTOR IS SUPPLIED WITH 